sandy's SPOtlightCOVER REVEALcoven's callingbyhelena shaw

Release date: Jan 30th 2015

BLURB:

Dawn Garrett has left behind the horrors she faced in Goosemont for a life on the road with Jase Byrnes. With his guidance, she’s started her training as a hunter of the things that hide in the shadows. But that training is interrupted when another hunter needs help on a case. Together, Dawn and Jase head south to Louisiana to discover just what is behind a series of gruesome attacks in the suburb of Bon Marais. It’s the perfect chance for Dawn to show off her new skills, but with real danger lurking everywhere, Jase isn’t ready to let her out of his sight. She’s sick of being held back, but when someone from her past arrives in Bon Marais, Dawn will face her toughest fight yet. She has to make a choice whether to become the hunter, or to follow her heart.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Helena Shaw has been writing ever since she was a child. Always with a book in her hands, she started crafting her own stories at a young age. She has always loved the world of the paranormal and inspired by her favorite stories, she set out to create a world of her own. Her first full length novel, Harvest Moon, was released in November, 2014 and she is currently hard at work on the sequel. She hopes to keep Dawn and Jase’s story going for many years to come. Helena Shaw resides in a small town in western Ontario. When she is not writing, she is taking care of her two boys and her husband.

Sandy's SpotlightARC REviewbattle crybymelissa snark

BATTLE CRY by Melissa Snark is book 3 in the Loki’s Wolves Series. I have not read Books 1 and 2 in the series, but I was assured by Ms. Snark when she approached me and asked me if I’d beta read this book that Battle Cry is a standalone novel, so I decided I would give it a try. I had no knowledge of the back story, and I had not read any of the blurbs for the books, so I was going in blind, just the way I like. When I review a book, I want the author’s words to spin the story for me, not the blurb and not other reviews.

I must say, I was impressed with Ms. Snark’s storytelling. This book was so involved, with so many different storylines, it could have gone terribly wrong. It didn’t. In Battle Cry, she gives the reader a non-stop thrill ride with an intricate plot, interesting characters and a fast paced read that I just couldn’t put down. I was hooked from the prologue and even though you would think I was at a disadvantage because I had not read the first two books in the series that was not the case at all. I was truly captivated.

There is so much happening in this book that it’s just not feasible for me to try to summarize it. Just know that with each storyline in the book, I was never disappointed. There were no blurred lines and Ms. Snark was able to keep me interested without confusing me in the least. There were goddesses and gods, vampires, hunters, werewolves, bitter enemies working together to try to put their differences aside for the greater good, love lost and new love blooming.

Ms. Snark writes battle scenes that are thrilling, brutal and for lack of a better term, kick ass astounding. I was literally on the edge of my seat, turning pages on my Kindle faster and faster until the battle was over and even at the battle conclusion, there were circumstances that kept me right on the edge needing to find out what was going to happen next.

I highly recommend Battle Cry by Melissa Snark. My only caveat to the reader: Make sure you have nothing that has to get done because once you pick this book up; you won’t be able to put it down.

One man dares defy Fate.Survival demands sacrifices; healing requires forgiveness. Men revere him; monsters fear him. Jake Barrett, the notorious Hunter King, values loyalty to family and followers above all else. When the daughter of his closest ally murders Daniel, his oldest son, it sets off a chain reaction of violence and destruction that claims the lives of both wolves and hunters. Determined to avenge his son, Jake seeks the truth at any cost. After losing her lover and then her mate, Victoria Storm simply wants to get on with building a new life in Sierra Pines, California. A vengeful Jake Barrett and his organization aren't going to make that easy, especially with the unwelcome attraction between her and the Hunter King's second son. Perils beyond the mortal coil plague Victoria. When the Norse Fates predict Victoria will destroy the world, her duties as a priestess of Freya come into conflict with her responsibilities as a Valkyrie of Odin. When they tell her she will do it to save her unborn child, she's not so sure they are wrong. Sawyer Barrett has been trying to kill Victoria for so long, he doesn't know whether he loves her or hates her. Desperate to end the war, he's willing to take chances with everything–except his heart. The hunter harbors a deadly secret he can't reveal without risking the ceasefire and his life. At Sawyer's urging, Victoria agrees to peace talks with Jake. All the while, an ancient vampire plots the destruction of wolves and hunters alike. If the embittered rivalry between hunters and wolves doesn't end—and fast—there is no hope for Victoria's pack... or for their world.

Shade enshrouded Skuld, and her voice manifested upon the air, thick and oppressive, closing in from all sides. "Your daughter will not grow to adulthood in Midgard." Victoria's heart slammed against her breastbone. Her breath expelled in a horrified gust. The bowl dropped from her hands and flew to protect her abdomen. "What do you mean?" "Your daughter will be taken from you on the eve of her third birthday," Skuld said. "The one you trust most, a member of your own pack, will give the child over to your greatest enemy." A growl trembled in Victoria's throat, and her entire body shook under the dual assault of fear and rage. The suggestion of betrayal from within her own pack filled her with disbelief to the core of her being. It was unthinkable. Gritting her teeth, she sought a solution, refusing to dwell on it. "How am I to prevent this?" "We speak of what will come to pass," Verðandi said in a sympathetic tone. "Your predictions are not carved in stone," Victoria said. Arguing with Fate was a foolish endeavor, but she refused to accept their prophecy. The old woman, Urðr, smiled with a frightening gleam in her eyes. "Predictions, carved into the trunk of the World Tree, carved into the spiritual fabric of the world." Stubborn determination settled over Victoria like armor. Her mother had taught her there was no absolute fate, just as there was no absolute free will. Life consisted of a wide range of possibilities between the two extremes. She refused to allow her daughter to die at three years of age. She would move worlds, alter fate, slay gods. Whatever it took. "Do you wish to save your child?" Skuld asked. Victoria answered without thought. "Yes. I'll do anything. Tell me. Please." "The final days are upon us," Verðandi said. Skuld took over speaking. "To save your daughter, you will side with Loki against the Aesir. You will use your enchanted dagger to cut the binding of the great wolf Fenrir. You will be responsible for freeing the beast that kills Odin." Victoria's stomach turned. Her head shook in automatic denial. "When the gods imprisoned Fenrir, my people pledged fealty to the Aesir. We have served them loyally ever since. Even when we were driven from the homeland, almost a millennium ago, we remained faithful. I will never cut Fenrir's bonds. To do so would end the world we live in and doom us all." Skuld's gaze held steady. "You will." Victoria snarled her denial. "No. I will never become the servant of the Trickster or willingly take part in bringing about Odin's death." Skuld turned her head and pinned Victoria with one black eye that rolled in its socket like a liquid marble. "To save your daughter, you will."

Fast Facts About Melissa Snark:

Melissa Snark is published with The Wild Rose Press & as an Indie author with five unique titles: A CAT'S TALE, THE MATING GAME, LEARNING TO FLY, THE CHILD THIEF, and HUNGER MOON.

Her Loki's Wolves series includes THE CHILD THIEF, HUNGER MOON and BATTLE CRY.

She lives in the San Francisco bay area with her husband, three children and a glaring of cats.

She is a professional cat herder and unrepentant satirist who blogs about books and writing on The Snarkology.

new release from suz demelloperilous playin the box setWhat to read after FSOG: The gemstone collection (WTRAFSOG Book 8)

I’m so delighted to be a part of the eighth What to Read After Fifty Shadesof Grey boxed set, which includes squirm-inducing, edgy erotic fiction. My fictionalized memoir is part of this set. Check it out: One woman’s journey into the contemporary kink underworld, Perilous Play is Suz deMello’s explosive personal account of her experiences with BDSM. Engaging and honest, this groundbreaking memoir will grab you and never let you go.

Excerpt:

Trapper and I spent the rest of the day together. We went to a vegan restaurant and two bars, including one dive so obscure that even Trapper got a little lost in the vast transit system despite his wealth of knowledge about the east bay. As we went back to school so he could pick up his bike, he started a conversation about sex. Bondage sex. BDSM sex. My heart raced. I said I was interested. He wanted to know what role I preferred. I said I thought I tended toward submission while trying not to squirm too obviously. I found some courage and asked him out Saturday night. He said he wanted to go to his condo at Sea Ranch, a beautiful beachside getaway on the Sonoma coast. I tried not to be too disappointed. Later in the week he clarified—he wanted me to go with him. I was stunned. I was actually considering going with a man I barely knew to his condo, alone, a hundred miles away from my home, where I would have BDSM sex with him as his submissive. Had I lost my mind? Yes, but not completely. I might not have known Trapper well, but I saw where he hung out. As far as I knew, few serial killers were bike-riding, Birkenstock-wearing Berkeley-based vegans. In fact, even though I had a legal background and an interest in true crime news, I had never heard of a bike-riding vegan serial killer. So I figured I’d be okay.

Nook - http://bit.ly/1BS3Q3N Kobo - http://bit.ly/1yvWnBCAbout Suz deMello: Best-selling, award-winning author Suz deMello, a.k.a Sue Swift, has written seventeen romance novels in several subgenres, including erotica, comedy, historical, paranormal, mystery and suspense, plus a number of short stories and non-fiction articles on writing. A freelance editor, she’s held the positions of managing editor and senior editor, working for such firms as Totally Bound and Ai Press. She also takes private clients. Her books have been favorably reviewed in Publishers Weekly, Kirkus and Booklist, won a contest or two, attained the finals of the RITA and hit several bestseller lists. A former trial attorney, her passion is world travel. She’s left the US over a dozen times, including lengthy stints working overseas. She’s now writing a vampire tale and planning her next trip. --Find her books at http://www.suzdemello.com --For editing services, email her at suzdemello@gmail.com --Befriend her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/suzdemello --She tweets @Suzdemello --Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/suzdemello/ --Goodreads: http://bit.ly/SuzATGoodreads --Her current blog is http://www.TheVelvetLair.com